Points and Motions
Points are formal tools used by a delegate to address the Chair about the flow of the committee, personal comfort, or factual errors.
Motions, on the other hand, are suggesting an action for the entire committee to take.
There are key differences between the two:
Points require no voting since the Chair handles them directly. Motions, however, require voting by delegates, usually need a second from another delegate, and often lead to formal voting procedures.
List of Points
Point of Personal Privilege
A Point of Personal Privilege is basically your emergency call. Use it if the room is freezing, boiling, or if the US Delegate keeps mumbling… or suddenly starts speaking Greek. Sure, you can use it to interrupt, but don’t be that person who abuses it and spams. (Unless you love the chair and the house to hate on you).
Point of Order
A Point of Order is basically your correction moment. Use it to correct the Chair or other delegates if they mess up or break the MUN rules. For example, if the Chair forgets to vote on an amendment, you drop this to get things back on track.
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
A point of Parliamentary Inquiry is basically your “Wait… what’s happening?” moment. Use it to ask the Chair about rules or procedures if you’re lost. For example, “What’s the required majority for this motion to pass?”.
Point of Information
The most well-known one. A Point of Information lets you ask the speaker about their speech or position. It can be a quick, simple question… or a ruthless, deep-dive inquiry that makes them question all their life choices.
Note: Your POI may be rejected if the interrogated delegate only opens themselves up to “pertaining to this delegate’s speech” or similar and you decide to ask a question unrelated to the actual speech in hand.
It can also be rejected if the chair feels that there is not enough time or the delegate only opens to the limited number of POIs which you didn't make the spot.
Unconventionally, it may be used to question the chair, but strictly speaking, it is of limited technical accuracy.
List of Motions
Motion to Open Debate
The “On” switch. Used at the very beginning of the first session to officially start the committee’s work.
Motion to Set the Agenda
The “Choice” button. If the committee has two or more topics (which usually happens), this lets everyone vote on which one to tackle first.
Motion to Close Debate (Motion to move to the previous question)
The “Fast forward." This ends all discussion and moves the room straight into Voting Procedure. You can also say “Motion to move to the previous question” (very formal yet mostly used).
Motion to Open the Speakers List
The “Line Up” call. This creates the General Speakers List (GSL), where everyone gets a turn to give their country’s overall stance.
Motion for a Moderated Caucus
The “Deep Dive.” A structured discussion on a specific sub-topic. You must specify the Total Time, Speaking Time, and Topic.
Motion for an Unmoderated Caucus
The “Freedom.” Everyone gets up to talk freely, lobby, and write. You only need to specify the Total Time. Don’t be the delegate who abuses this motion to play games or watch TikTok. Its not like the chair will actually honor it.
Motion to Suspend the Meeting
The “Break” button. Used for lunch, dinner, or the end of the day. It basically means “we’re coming back later!”
Motion to Table the Topic
The “Freeze” button. This puts the current topic aside indefinitely to move on to something else. A classic power move when people don’t want to deal with a topic.
Motion to Reorder Resolutions
The “Line-jumper.” If there are multiple resolutions, this lets you change the order so yours gets voted on first.
Motion to Adjourn Debate
The “Final End.” Used at the very end of the entire conference. It means the committee is officially finished.....for good.
Note: Keep in mind that the Chair always has the right to refuse a motion if it’s not appropriate to use.